And Moyes said: “I’m pleased with the performance, and with the result. We more than deserved a point from the game. We didn’t do enough to win it, but it’s a big thing to come here and try to win the game

"We went to try and win it. I don’t think we’re out of place where we are. It’s hard for us. It’s a different playing field for us, compared to clubs like Arsenal, but Everton, as a team, played really well tonight.

“We knew if we got three points here we’d have a real chance. A point keeps us ticking along. But we probably need to win all the remaining games to have a chance.”

Everton, who travel to Sunderland on Saturday, must still visit Liverpool and Chelsea in their remaining five games.

And Moyes said: “I felt we had to win. Are we really going to overhaul Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea? If I said much different, you’d think ‘he’s not right, him’.

“The players knew what was at stake, and it wasn’t for a lack of effort tonight. They went at full tilt to get a result. If we’d won you might have mentioned us a bit more. But it keeps us in chance for the Europa League.

“I would take a Europa League place now. But I’m going to try and get Champions League. If we’re still getting that mention in mid-April, it’s not bad for Everton.”

With Leon Osman injured, Ross Barkley impressed in a central midfield role on only the fourth Premier League start of his career.

“We’re having to find the times and moments to play Ross Barkley, where you are in the league and what games, and he’s got a bit to do yet,” said Moyes. “He’s not quite ready to be a regular, playing all the time, but we gave him a role tonight that might suit him. He’s got a goal in him, as you saw.”

Barkley was one of several Everton players to enrage the home crowd during a high-octane first half in which Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Darron Gibson, having already been booked for a foul on Theo Walcott, should have been sent off for another foul on the winger.

Moyes, though, was unrepentant and said: “Do you mean when we were a little bit rough with the tackling? Up north we do that quite often. That’s actually allowed in football.

“We weren’t going to come here and let Arsenal stroke the ball around and make 600 passes. He (Arsene) was upset. I just thought he was quite a lot. I thought we made it a right good game. Everton got the crowd going. I’ve been at the Emirates and it’s been quiet, but Everton got the crowd going. Because you make tackles, not every one is a foul and not every one means you have to kick it out of play.”

Television cameras caught a fracas in the tunnel as the teams left the field at half-time after Kevin Mirallas squirted water at Jack Wilshere.

But asked if he saw the incident, Moyes responded: “Did you? I didn’t see it. I know somebody who says that quite a lot.”